Folding poultry-crate



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

HJB. GORNISH & S. M. HIGGASON.

FOLDING POULTRY CRATE. 4 .No. 434,321. Patented Aug. 12, 1890 (NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. B. GORNISH & S. M. HIGGASON,

FOLDING POULTRY CRATE.

No. 434,321. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

- wmvsssgs: NMLM m5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY B. CORNISH AND SAMUEL M. HIGGASON, OF RUTHERFORD, TENNESSEE.

FOLDING POULTRY-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,321, dated August12, 1890. Application filed May 13, 1390- Serial No. 351,666. (N0model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY B. CORNISH and SAMUEL M. HIGGASON, ofRutherford, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new and useful Folding Poultry-Crate, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description. I

The objects of this invention are to provide a crate for thetransportation of poultry, which will have no loose parts and which maybe collapsed, when not in service as a coop, to form a compact bundle, afurther object being to furnish means for securing the crate in expandedcondition, which willprevent abstraction of the contents and indicate ifthe crate has been tampered with when in use as a shipping box or coopfor live poultry.

To these ends our invention consists in certain features of constructionand combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated.in. the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all of the Views.

Figure l is a plan view of the crate in an expanded condition. Fig. 2 isa transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a sectional elevation on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1 at right angles tothe section in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view-of the crate as it appearswhen collapsed. Fig. 5 is a side view representing the crate nearlyfolded, as it appears when viewed in the direction of the arrow 1 inFig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a side View of the device nearly folded, viewed inthe direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. at; and Fig. 7 is a brokenperspective View of a portion of the crate partly folded.

The crate is preferably made of metal, the sides and top being composedof flat strips of sheet metal, which may be tinned or coated with zincby galvanic process to avoid rust and permit thorough cleansing of thecrate. The bottom plate a. of the crate is also made of sheet metal cutinto form which is rectangular, two opposite edges a being turned downat a right angle to the general surface, thus forming flanges that serveas feet for the crate. A center flange d of equal height with the outerflanges, is secured on the lower surface of the bottom plate, aiding tostiffen it and keep it level. The flanges a and a are of further use inthat they prevent wear on the lower face of the bottom plate a andpermit air to circulate below said plate when the crate is placed on theground. On the upper-surface of the bottom plate a two angleiron strips6 are secured, these L-shaped pieces resting with one integral flange ofeach upon the bottom plate near the edges of the same, which are atright angles to the depending flanges a, while the vertical flanges ofthe angle-strips b are located a short distance from the marginal edgesof the bottom plate, thus serving to render the bottom plate rigid andaffording lateralabutments for the sides 0.

The slatted top piece 61 of the crate is comprised of a series of stripsof metal, as before stated, which strips are held parallel and spacedapart stably by their attachment to the channel-iron bars e, to whichthey are riveted or otherwise secured. Preferably four channel-bars eare employed in the construction of the top piece d, two of said barsforming borders for opposite edges of the top piece, the remaining pairof bars a being located at equal distances from the border pieces. Asshown in Fig. 1, the channel-bars e are equal in length to the width ofthe bot tom plate a, and project a short distance outside of themarginal strips which are secured to them, said projecting ends havingthe Web portion which unites the parallel flanges of the channel-barscut-away, thus permitting a jointed connection of these ends with theside walls 0, as will be further explained. The opposite sides 0 are ofa similar form, and each consists, essentially, of a series of spacedstrips, like those in the top piece d, which strips are transverselyattached to the channelbarsc', that are adapted to lie on the outersurface of the sides 0, vertical in position, and so relatively locatedthat their upper ends may be pivoted to the flanges on the endsof thechannel-bars e that embrace the Vertical bar ends, and thus permit thesides c to, fold flat upon the top piece cl, the side channelbars 0being embraced by the top bars 12, as

shown in Fig. 5. On the inner surfaces of the sides 0, at a properdistance from the marginal or outer channel-bars c, angle-iron strips fare secured parallel to the channelbars, the flanges of theangle-strips, which project inwardly, being suitably located to affordabntments that prevent the inward movement of other sides g of thecrate.

To permit the parts of the collapsible crate to fold together closelyand maintain a connection between all the pieces, the sides 9 are eachdivided into equal sections longitudinally.

As seen in Figs. 5 and 7, the sidesgare comprised of spaced strips andchannel-bars the latter being each composed of two pieces of equallength, the upper piece having such a proportionate width to the lowerpiece that its flanged sides will fit and fold between the sides of saidlower piece.

The channel-bar pieces g, have their flanges outwardly projected, andthe flanges of the lower terminal ends of the upper section rounded ontheir lower outer corners, the pieces being pivoted together, so thatthe connecting webs of the channel-bar .flanges will have contact whenthese hinged portions are erected vertically, but will flex inwardly,and the upper portions fold within the lower portions when the crate iscollapsed; hence the two sections of each side g may be pushed inwardly,as shown in Fig. 7, and folded compactly, as illustrated in Fig. 6, whensaid sides are suitably connected to the top piece (1 and bottom platea, which connection of parts is eifected by proper hinges secured to theside sections g and top and bottom pieces (I and a, preferably, at theopposite ends of each channel-bar g.

An aperture of proper size is formed in the top piece (I of the cratenear its center by the removal of a portion of one of the strips between the intermediate channel-bars e, and a slatted door h is hinged toone of the strips that forms a side of the aperture. The door It is ofsuch a relative length that its ends will lie close to the side flangesof the intermediate channel-bars 6, when it is in closed adjustment, andon it a card-holder t is attached, which latter is formed from arectangular piece of sheet metal having its side edges and one endportion folded over so as to produce flanges, between which and theplate-body a card may be inserted. The unflanged end of the card-holdingplate 7 being adjacent to the side of the channel-bar, the card isretained when the door is closed, and can only be removed when the dooris raised above the channel-bars.

Perforations are made through contiguous bars or strips of the door itand top piece at of the crate forthe reception of a wire loop, the endsof which are secured together by a soft-metal locking-seal, as at m, inFig. 1, a similar provision being made to hold the lower edges of thesides 0 in closed connection with the flanges of the angle-strips b,when the crateis prepared for shipping, with live poultry-in it.

To erect the device and give it proper form for use, the top piece (Z iselevated from the base-plate a, which movement will draw the sidesections g into an upright position,where they are retained stable attheir joints by the inward adjustment of the sides 0 until the loweredge portions of said sides impinge against the angle-strips b, as itwill be seen that when the sides a are in a vertical position theangle-iron strips f will bear against the inner surface of the jointedsectional sides g, whereby said sides are prevented from inward flexure,and the entire device rendereda substantial structure well adapted forits use.

\Vhen the crate is to packed into a compact package for return to theshipper, it is only necessary to release the fastenings'and fold thesides 0 upon the top piece (1. This will release the sides g, which maybe forced inwardly, as shown in Fig. 7. The several parts of the crateare then free to be collapsed and made to assume the relative positionsshown in Fig. 6.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A folding poultry-crate having its foursides and top piece made of metal strips scoured to channel-bars, two ofthe sides being attached to the top piece by joints in the ends of thechannel-bars, and the other sides each made of two sections pivotallysecured where they join, and hinged by their top and bottom edges to thetop piece and bottom plate of the crate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding poultry-crate, the combination, with a bottom plate anda top piece, of two sectional sides hinged to the top piece and bottomplate, each side being pivoted where its sections join each other, tofold inwardly, and two other sides hinged to the top piece and free tofold thereon or be vertically adjusted to impinge on the sectional sidesand the bottom plate near their edges, substantially as set forth.

3. In a folding crate for poultry, the combination, with a bottom plate,a top piece, and two opposite sides hinged to the top piece and free tofold thereon, each of said sides having vertical angle-pieces on theirinner surfaces near their ends, which impinge on two other sides whenthe crate is erected,

of two sides divided longitudinallyinto equal parts pivoted to yieldinwardly when the crate is to be folded, and having their top and bottomedges hinged to the top piece and bottom plate of the crate,substantially as set forth.

4. In a folding crate for poultry, the combination, with a bottom platehaving opposite flanges depending therefrom, two angle- ILO stripssecured on the plate at right angles piece and bottom plate of thecrate, substanto the depending flanges, and a slatted top tially as setforth.

piece having a door hin ed over an aperture therein, of two slatted sides hinged to the top I 5 piece and impinging on the angle-strips whenthe crate is erected, and two slatted sides, Witnesses: each composed oftwo equal sections pivoted A. J. FLETCHER, together longitudinally andhinged to the top R. B. TINKER.

